From Asphalt to Chinese Literati Garden: the story of Portland's Chinese Garden

This program will focus on Portland's Lan Su Chinese Gardenas an example of urban development and the transformation of an inert asphalt parking lot into a living garden. Beyond physical changes, it represents the creation of a nondescript piece of land into a "place" imbued with the intelligence history of a unique literati culture that transcends national boundaries to create a public inspiring retreat of subtle sensual beauty and spirituality to be shared with visitors of different backgrounds.

Ben Ngan, landscape architect and past Board member of the Chinese Classical Garden and Chinese Garden Society, shares his insights and visual images of the development of Portland's Chinese garden from its original concept through construction and completion of the project.

Join us for this visual, historical journey to see how Portland's Garden of the Awakening Orchid (Lansuyuan) emerged from an asphalt parking lot into one of the finest classical Chinese Literati Garden outside China.